Scientific studies suggest you should probably lay off the sugar-packed Big Gulp.

But what about their zero-calorie counterparts?

There is this cultural lore that has people thinking that diet soda is whats really bad for you and that the other stuff (sugar-sweetened soda) isnt as bad, said Harold Goldstein of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy. Worries include that artificially sweetened drinks will cause cancer or diabetes.

Though most science dissuades drinking regular soda, diet sodas comparatively ambiguous research has not completely dispelled the lore.

Here are answers, some rather nuanced, to common questions about diet soda.

Is diet soda poisonous?

No, it wont poison you.

Most diet sodas are made with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, which are several hundred times sweeter than real sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. Because not much of these are needed, a diet soda can get away with negligible calories.

Artificial sweeteners have probably been the most intensively studied food ingredient ever, said Richard Mattes, professor of foods and nutrition at Purdue University. Every panel has cleared them.

Does diet soda make me eat more?

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Is it OK to drink diet soda?

LONDON, Sept. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- If you're struggling to lose weight don't give up on the diet yet, new research suggests that one of the top tips to helping you lose weight may be as simple as just getting a new lunch buddy!

Research published in the British Journal of Nutrition by psychologists at the University of Birmingham monitored 100 women at a lunch buffet and found that people unconsciously mirrored eating habits of the people around them even if they were trying to lose weight.

They found when those around the women helped themselves to the fattening array of cocktail sausages, pasties and crisps, while avoiding vegetables, the women did the same. On the contrary when they chose healthier items, the women did also consuming around 200 fewer calories.

Dr Eric Robinson, a psychologist at the University of Birmingham, said: "We found that pairing people with unhealthy eating partners reduced the amount of healthy food they were eating. They tended to pick the foods that were high in calories".

Therefore it is thought that recognising this effect could help people who are trying to diet and lose weight to avoid being influenced by others.

Caron Leckie, nutritionist at Diet Chef says "The research reflects the effect of social influence on our eating habits it can be harder to stick to a diet, choose the better options and lose weight if everyone around you is doing the opposite. It can be a good idea to make sure when you start your diet that someone close to you is there also as a dieting buddy or for support on your weight loss plan".

Diet Chef carefully counts the calories of all meals so dieters on the plan will be averaging less than 1,200 calories per day. The daily menu allows you to get delicious diet food delivered, as well as offering a tasty and varied, healthy balanced plan encouraging dieters to lose weight at a healthy pace.

Those on the diet looking to check their own progress can do so using the weight loss calculator as well as sharing their weight loss success stories via the website or Diet Chef social media channels.

Visit the website: http://www.dietchef.co.uk Become a fan: http://www.facebook.com/DietChef Follow: http://www.twitter.com/dietchef

Press release submitted by online press release distribution service Submitpressrelease123.com

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Diet Chef Reveals How Your Dinner Date Could Make You Fat

It's not only the models who aim to lose weight ahead of New York Fashion Week.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- New York Fashion Week is one of the fashion industry's biggest events of the year, the culmination of months of planning, organizing, schmoozing ... and dieting?

When it comes to the biannual fashion shows, which kick off Thursday, models aren't the only ones looking to drop a few pounds before hitting the tents. Some publicists, bloggers and fashion editors have been counting calories for weeks in anticipation of the week-long event, where to some, networking and being seen are just as important as the collections debuting on the runways.

Anyone who has tried to get in shape for a wedding or school reunion can relate to the pressure of wanting to look his or her best and reaching to achieve that goal with varying degrees of success.

Nutritionists say that limiting caloric intake in a compressed time frame can lead to nutrient deficiencies, causing decreased immune function, dry skin and loss of muscle or bone density, for starters. But in an industry that's all about image, it's a price many are willing to pay.

"Perception is reality in this industry, and unfortunately, you have to look the look to get the clients," said public relations specialist Keisha McCotry, who began her Fashion Week diet in July. She plans on attending Fashion Week to recruit designers for her firm, Prominence Marketing Group.

Throughout the summer, fashionistas from all corners of the industry have been tweeting with a blend of sarcasm and sincerity about plans to start, defer or defy a #NYFW diet.

"I'm thinking we should start our #NYFW diet tomorrow. What do you think?" tweeted DKNY PR GIRL, the online persona of fashion publicist extraordinaire Aliza Licht, senior vice president of global communications at Donna Karan International, on August 12.

She followed up with "#PRGirlDiet" regulations: "No non-purpose bread (ie bread baskets, pretzels, croutons) or candy/sugar. Basically anything fun. EXCEPT: frozen yogurt is ok."

See the original post:
The #NYFW diet: Part of the job?

A diet rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fats could help protect against skin cancer, research suggests.

Dr Niva Shapira said the Greek-style Mediterranean diet could play a role in contributing to that country's low rates of melanoma compared to Europe and other sunny countries such as Australia.

"It's more than their olive skin," said Dr Shapira, a researcher from Tel Aviv who is presenting her findings this week at the International Congress of Dietetics in Sydney.

"We think the difference in skin cancer rates may be partially due to the different eating habits in these countries," she said.

Dr Shapira studied two groups of women exposed to the sun for four to six hours a day over two weeks, with one group drinking an antioxidant-enriched beverage and the other drinking water or soft drinks.

Levels of malondialdehyde, an indicator of oxidative stress in the body linked to cancer risk, increased by about 55 per cent in those drinking water but dropped by 16 per cent in the women who had the fortified beverage.

Dr Shapira conducted further studies that found tomato paste, a Greek staple containing antioxidants such as lycopene, reduced and delayed UV-induced skin redness.

She said antioxidants accumulate in the skin and form a first line of protection against UV radiation and cell damage.

Antioxidants are plentiful in other foods that form the traditional Mediterranean diet, including omega-3 fats from fish, omega-9 in olive oil, fruit, vegetables, herbs and tea, Dr Shapira said.

An antioxidant-rich diet may be useful along with current sun-smart advice, she said.

See the article here:
Diet may protect against melanoma

It's not only the models who aim to lose weight ahead of New York Fashion Week.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- New York Fashion Week is one of the fashion industry's biggest events of the year, the culmination of months of planning, organizing, schmoozing ... and dieting?

When it comes to the biannual fashion shows, which kick off Thursday, models aren't the only ones looking to drop a few pounds before hitting the tents. Some publicists, bloggers and fashion editors have been counting calories for weeks in anticipation of the week-long event, where to some, networking and being seen are just as important as the collections debuting on the runways.

Anyone who has tried to get in shape for a wedding or school reunion can relate to the pressure of wanting to look his or her best and reaching to achieve that goal with varying degrees of success.

Nutritionists say that limiting caloric intake in a compressed time frame can lead to nutrient deficiencies, causing decreased immune function, dry skin and loss of muscle or bone density, for starters. But in an industry that's all about image, it's a price many are willing to pay.

"Perception is reality in this industry, and unfortunately, you have to look the look to get the clients," said public relations specialist Keisha McCotry, who began her Fashion Week diet in July. She plans on attending Fashion Week to recruit designers for her firm, Prominence Marketing Group.

Throughout the summer, fashionistas from all corners of the industry have been tweeting with a blend of sarcasm and sincerity about plans to start, defer or defy a #NYFW diet.

"I'm thinking we should start our #NYFW diet tomorrow. What do you think?" tweeted DKNY PR GIRL, the online persona of fashion publicist extraordinaire Aliza Licht, senior vice president of global communications at Donna Karan International, on August 12.

She followed up with "#PRGirlDiet" regulations: "No non-purpose bread (ie bread baskets, pretzels, croutons) or candy/sugar. Basically anything fun. EXCEPT: frozen yogurt is ok."

View post:
#NYFW diet: Part of the job?

"It's more than their olive skin," a researcher has said about lower skin cancer rates in Europe. Source: Supplied

A DIET rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fats could help protect against skin cancer, research suggests.

Dr Niva Shapira said the Greek-style Mediterranean diet could play a role in contributing to that country's low rates of melanoma compared to Europe and other sunny countries such as Australia.

"It's more than their olive skin," said Dr Shapira, a researcher from Tel Aviv who is presenting her findings this week at the International Congress of Dietetics in Sydney.

"We think the difference in skin cancer rates may be partially due to the different eating habits in these countries," she said.

Dr Shapira studied two groups of women exposed to the sun for four to six hours a day over two weeks, with one group drinking an antioxidant-enriched beverage and the other drinking water or soft drinks.

Levels of malondialdehyde, an indicator of oxidative stress in the body linked to cancer risk, increased by about 55 per cent in those drinking water but dropped by 16 per cent in the women who had the fortified beverage.

Dr Shapira conducted further studies that found tomato paste, a Greek staple containing antioxidants such as lycopene, reduced and delayed UV-induced skin redness.

She said antioxidants accumulate in the skin and form a first line of protection against UV radiation and cell damage.

Antioxidants are plentiful in other foods that form the traditional Mediterranean diet, including omega-3 fats from fish, omega-9 in olive oil, fruit, vegetables, herbs and tea, Dr Shapira said.

View post:
Greek diet may protect against melanoma